Chefs share their best tricks for making 15 foods everyone should know how to cook

Perfect your go-to recipes with these tips and tricks from chefs.chompoo09/ShutterstockBusiness Insider spoke with three professional chefs to find out their best cooking tricks.Make creamier mashed potatoes by boiling your potatoes in milk instead of water.Use leftover herb stems to create dressings and salt your ice water when blanching vegetables.Whether you're hosting a feast or cooking yourself a quick dinner, it's important to master a few recipes and have some go-to dishes up your sleeve.Professional chefs know this very well — and many have spent years learning tricks for making even the most common dishes better.So, Business Insider asked three chefs to share their best tips for upgrading 15 foods everyone should know how to cook.Here's what they had to say.Make super creamy mashed potatoes by boiling the potatoes in milk instead of water.Butter and milk can help make mashed potatoes creamy.LauriPatterson/Getty ImagesTo step up your mashed potatoes, boil the potatoes in salted milk instead of water, said Sara Hauman, "Top Chef" competitor and head chef at Soter Vineyards in Carlton, Oregon."After the potatoes have cooked, drain them and add soft butter to make super creamy — not even remotely greasy — mashed potatoes," Hauman said. "For even more creaminess, add sour cream or cream cheese."A bit of mayo is the secret to a great grilled cheese.Mayonnaise can help you create a crispy grilled cheese.Luc TEBOUL/Getty ImagesHauman said the trick to a great grilled cheese is to use mayonnaise instead of butter on the outsides of the bread.Mayo has a higher smoke point than butter, meaning it's less likely to burn quickly — it also adds some richness to the sandwich.Also, make sure you're cooking your grilled cheese on medium heat to get the ultimate cheese pull, she added.Use high-quality chocolate for the ultimate chocolate-chip cookies.High-quality chocolate can make a cookie better.Lydia Warren/InsiderTo make your cookie recipe stand out, use better chocolate, said Krystal Craig, the head pastry chef, chocolatier, and co-owner of Intero."Go by your personal taste in terms of using milk or dark, sweeter or more bitter chocolate, but look for a 'couverture' choice to create a more fulfilling taste," Craig told BI.Couverture is a high-quality chocolate with a higher percentage of cocoa butter.Prevent soggy roasted vegetables by preheating your pan.Preheat your oven and pan when roasting vegetables.JeniFoto/ShutterstockRoasted vegetables are a great side dish, but they can easily get soggy.Hauman said one way to prevent sogginess is to heat your baking tray in the oven for at least 10 to 15 minutes before tossing your vegetables onto it.Enjoy perfectly blanched veggies by salting both your ice and boiling water.Try salting an ice bath that's being used to blanch vegetables.annick vanderschelden photography/Getty ImagesIf you're not into roasting vegetables, another option is to blanch them for maximum crunchiness and vibrant colors. The process involves scalding the vegetables in boiling water for a few minutes and then purging them into an ice-water bath.For the best results, salt the ice and blanching water used for shocking your vegetables, Hauman said.By salting both, she explained, you won't rinse off the seasoning when you transfer the vegetables from the blanching water to the ice water.Make the perfect, flaky pie crust by adding a teaspoon of a clear spirit to the dough.Flaky pie crust can elevate a dessert.Ekaterina Smirnova/Getty ImagesFlaky pie crust is useful in both sweet and savory dishes, and there are a few ways to take it to the next level."Instead of giving your fingers a workout when distributing the butter into the dry ingredients, freeze the butter, then grate it using a cheese grater," Hauman said.She also suggested adding a teaspoon of clear alcohol, such as vodka or gin, to pie dough to slow down gluten formation and achieve a flakier crust.Season your poultry in advance to make no-fail chicken.Seasoning your chicken makes a difference.Zoryana Ivchenko/Getty ImagesIan Thurwachter, executive chef and co-owner of Intero, said it's best to season chicken at least an hour before you cook it."Plus, put a little bit of butter under the skin of the breasts to keep them moist and tender while cooking," Thurwachter said. "Separate the skin from the meat by sliding your finger between the two making a place for the butter."Save pasta water to add to your sauces.Pasta water can help elevate a sauce.Phill Thornton/Getty ImagesThe key to a great pasta dish is to save some of the starchy pasta water to add to your sauce, Hauman said."Adding the pasta water will help emulsify the sauce together, especially if it is olive-oil-based," she told BI.Whisk your brown butter constantly to bring out the best flavor.Be patient when making brown butter.Candice Bell/Getty ImagesBrown butter can be used in pasta, sauces, cakes, and cookies to add more depth of flavor to even the simplest dishes.To make it, you slowly heat butter over medium heat. But Hauman said the secret to making the best brown butter is to never stop whisking."As the milk solids caramelize, they want to sink to the bottom of the pan," she told BI. "Don't let them. They are full of flavor."Avoid heat when making pesto to keep it a vibrant-green color.Pesto can be made using parsley, too.istetiana/Getty ImagesIt's important to avoid heat when making pesto so that the sauce stays a vibrant green color, Hauman said.Pesto is usually made with olive oil, basil, garlic, and pine nuts, but she said you can also add parsley. The herb isn't super sensitive to heat and can also help give your sauce a nice green color.Make the perfect omelet by adding a pinch of salt to loosen up your eggs.Avoid cooking your omelet on high heat.Penpak Ngamsathain/Getty ImagesTo make a great omelet, add a pinch of salt while whisking your eggs. This helps to denature the proteins quickly and will loosen and fluff your eggs with ease, Hauman said.She said you also want to always cook omelets on low-to-medium heat and end with a bit of broiler action."When the eggs are almost set, pop your omelet under the broiler for 30 seconds to finish cooking," Hauman told BI.Save your leftover herb stems for a homemade salad dressing.Herb stems can be used to create a vinaigrette.Sergio Amiti/Getty ImagesMaking your own salad dressing with fresh herbs is a must, according to Thurwachter."Save leftover herb stems in vinegar to make a super easy and more flavorful vinaigrette," Thurwachter said. "Let the stems sit in the vinegar for at least a full day before using to help maximize the taste."Invest in a scale to measure ingredients by weight for more consistency in your cakes.Some pro chefs measure ingredients with a scale.urbazon/Getty Images"With cake recipes — and all pastry recipes for that matter — invest in a simple scale," Craig said.A scale can help you use even more precise measurements in your recipes, thus potentially yielding even better results.Make your crepe batter a day early to allow the air bubbles to settle.Crepes can be sweet or savory.Yulia Naumenko/Getty ImagesCrepes are another great breakfast dish and can also make for an impromptu dessert or a savory lunch, Hauman said.To make the best crepes, always make your batter a day in advance so the air bubbles can settle."Crepe batter can be made in the blender and can sit in your fridge for up to a week for any sweet or savory dishes," she added.Let your rice rest for at least 10 minutes after it's done cooking.It can be helpful to let your rice rest for a bit after you cook it.eleonora galli/Getty ImagesRice is a popular pantry staple, and some tips are applicable to many varieties.One helpful trick is stirring the rice only once when the cooking water is added, Hauman said. It's important to resist the urge to stir any more than that.She said you can also place a kitchen towel on top of your pot and lid to prevent condensation from dripping back down into the rice, which can make it soggy.Lastly, make sure to let your rice rest covered for at least 10 minutes after you finish cooking it so it can finish absorbing all of the water in the pot, Thurwachter said. This will result in rice that is light and fluffy instead of mushy.This story was originally published on June 15, 2021, and most recently updated on May 6, 2025.Read the original article on Business Insider

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